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Meet the new talent
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This review first appeared in the September 18, 1992 issue of the North County Blade-Citizen (now North County Times).
One of the most promising trends to come out of the 1980s was the proliferation of new, small independent recording labels taking advantage of the lower start-up cost of issuing in CD instead of vinyl.
One of those labels was Justice Record Co., out of Houston, specializing in jazz.
Most of the artists featured on this compilation aren't household names, the exception being veteran guitarist Herb Ellis.
But if the musicians here aren't famous, it shouldn't be taken to mean they aren't good. They are; very good, actually.
In fact, the only complaint with this album – which features a representative share of women artists, a rarity in jazz – is an incorrect song credit. Barbara Lynn Ozen's "You'll Lose a Good Thing" (performed here with grit and verve by vocalist Wendi Slaton) is credited to a Huey Meaux. Inexcusable, but correctable.
On the upside, the music needs no excuses, showing imagination as well as a broad range of styles, from vocalist Wendi Slaton's R&B/blues stylings to pianist Stefan Karlsson's straight-ahead jazz to Ellis' more traditional playing.
There isn't a bad cut here, and a compilation such as this is a nice way to discover new talent inexpensively.